A family of four travelling from Noida to Prayagraj for festive celebrations was killed after their SUV crashed into a central divider on the Ganga Expressway in Hardoi district on Wednesday, with police examining how the vehicle went out of control.
The deceased were identified as Saurabh Upadhyay, 40, vice-chairman of Noida-based Barclays Global Service Centre; his wife, Menaka Upadhyay, 35; and their sons Vyom, 7, and Shivom, 18 months. The accident took place around 1pm near Bhatouli Mafi village, under Sandi police station, at kilometre marker 317 of the expressway, around 40km from Hardoi district headquarters, according to the report by Times of India – Lucknow.
Police said the SUV struck the central divider with such force that it was dragged nearly 30 metres before coming to a halt. The vehicle was severely mangled and its components were scattered across the expressway. The infant was thrown nearly 20 feet below the highway, the report said.
Saurabh, Menaka and their elder son died at the site, police said. The critically injured toddler was taken to a nearby community health centre, where doctors and medical staff attempted cardiopulmonary resuscitation. He was later declared dead. Police teams from Sandi, Bilgram and Harpalpur stations reached the location after receiving information about the crash.
The family had left Noida on Wednesday morning for Prayagraj, where they were scheduled to meet relatives for Bhai Dooj and Chhath celebrations. Saurabh was originally from the EWS residential colony in Neem Sarai, Mundera, in Prayagraj. His wife was originally from Ghazipur, while her parental family currently lives in Lucknow’s Gomti Nagar.
The crash highlights the consequences of a vehicle losing control on a high-speed expressway, where a collision with a central divider can rapidly become fatal. The report does not establish whether speed, driver fatigue, a mechanical failure, road conditions or another factor contributed to the accident. Police are examining the circumstances, and the cause remains under investigation.
The bodies were taken for legal formalities and post-mortem examinations. Police are expected to establish the sequence of events through the investigation, including the circumstances immediately before the SUV left its path and struck the divider.
